Ina Garten's Turkey, Sausage, and Prosciutto Meatballs

It's tough to go wrong with spaghetti and meatballs, but I'm always up for a variation. This recipe from Ina Garten eschews the common beef for turkey instead. But while that's usually a terrible idea (because the way to go wrong with meatballs is to make them tough and dry), she keeps them interesting (and juicy) by adding in Italian sausage and finely chopped prosciutto.

Why I Picked This Recipe: Ina is a pretty dependable resource whom I trust—that, and I've had some pretty boring turkey meatballs before. Her technique goes with a classic bread-and-milk addition to the meat, known as a panade, to help makes the meatballs tender. And she uses just enough sausage meat to bring a nice porky flavory and richness without overwhelming.

What Worked: The oven technique is the best part of this recipe. Once you realize meatballs don't need to be cooked on the stove, spattering oil and going lopsided in the pan, you may never go back.

What Didn't: While I'm a lover of spicy foods, her quantity of red pepper flakes give these meatballs a kick which seemed a little out of place; I would halve it next time.

Suggested Tweaks: These meatballs don't necessarily have to be served with spaghetti—they would make a fine appetizer. And if you're not as worried about saturated fat, going with beef instead of turkey would make a very fine alternative.

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About the Author

Born and raised in Chicago, one of Blake's earliest food memories was a Chicago-style hot dog with all the toppings. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

As a co-founder of The Paupered Chef And a Serious Eats Contributor since the beginning, Blake has been writing about food regularly since 2006. He currently contributes weekly to Dinner Tonight and writes the Chicago-based column Sausage City. He studied professional cookery at Kendall College in Chicago, and is creative director of Jamco Creative, an outfit in Chicago that specializes in social media marketing.